The career excursion to MedAustron was a great success. The staff were committed to showing us around and answering all our questions. We started with an introductory presentation about the facility and its clinical applications, including the benefits of proton and carbon-ion therapy. I think everyone was impressed by the fact that MedAustron was built in cooperation with CERN and is now one of six research institutes worldwide that successfully treat patients with heavy ions. Afterwards, we received a brief overview of the application process and the benefits of working at MedAustron. This was followed by a detailed tour of the facility. Because maintenance was taking place on Friday, we were also able to visit the accelerator and the research area. The visit was particularly interesting for people in accelerator and medical physics. In addition to maintaining the accelerator, the team is continuously improving and characterizing the beam as well as the clinical applications. For example, they are considering adding a helium source for He ion therapy. Through collaborations with several research institutes such as TU and the MedUni Vienna, their research is also like the academic work we are used to.
Florian Fechtel
